Pune, 28th September 2026: COEP Technological University is set to establish India's first indigenous battery prototyping and pilot-scale research and development centre at its Research Park in Chikhali, with an investment of over ₹800 crore.
The university has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with JSW Projects, part of the JSW Group, to develop the facility in two phases.
The proposed centre will focus on developing indigenous lithium-ion, sodium-ion and other advanced battery technologies. It will support battery cell design, simulation, prototyping and testing, providing a platform for research and innovation in India.
The project is expected to strengthen the country's battery manufacturing ecosystem and reduce dependence on imported technologies.
The project will be developed in two phases, with a combined investment of more than ₹800 crore. The first phase will focus on establishing a cell research and development centre to design, simulate and prototype lithium-ion, sodium-ion and other advanced chemistry-based battery cells.
The second phase will establish a cell validation facility capable of developing battery cells with capacities ranging from 100 to 600 ampere-hours (Ah). The facility will support testing and validation, helping develop battery technologies suited to Indian conditions.
The partnership is expected to create more than 1,000 employment opportunities across the battery technology ecosystem. The centre will also provide students with access to advanced battery research and practical training, strengthening industry-academia collaboration.
The project is expected to support the development of electric vehicles, grid-scale energy storage and clean energy solutions. It will also contribute to India's long-term goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2070.
JSW Group Chairman Sajjan Jindal said, "Battery cells will become the new fuel of this century, and the time has come to manufacture them in India. Our partnership with COEP, which has a 172-year legacy in engineering, will bring a new dimension to industry-academia collaboration. It will also help design, test and validate battery cells suited to Indian climatic conditions."
COEP Vice-Chancellor Dr Sunil Bhirud said, "This project has the potential to develop indigenous alternatives for battery manufacturing. It will give students an opportunity to learn advanced battery technologies while providing a platform for research, innovation and technological development."
The MoU was signed by COEP Registrar Dr D. N. Sonawane and JSW Group Executive Vice-President Naresh Lalwani. Vice-Chancellor Dr Sunil Bhirud, RIIL Director Dr S. P. Mahajan, Dean Dr P. A. Sadgir, Dr Ranjit Date, Dr Sarika Kelkar, Mandar Bhatwadekar and Officer on Special Duty Dr Avinash Joshi were among those present.
